Repair plan for Lincoln's historic Glory Hole footpath submitted

The Glory Hole footpath has been closed since February due to broken wooden support beams

An £80,000 plan to repair an historic riverside path in Lincoln has been submitted.

The Glory Hole walkway, which leads to the High Bridge, was closed in February after being deemed unsafe.

Maintenance crews discovered a series of fractured wooden beams, which were part of the original construction.

Officials said the work involved reinforcing existing timber piles and installing new beams to support Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) deck boards.

The footpath runs along the Witham

Lincolnshire County Council said one significant challenge for the work was the limited access to the site, with some of the repairs likely to have to take place from the river itself.

The council said it must also navigate permissions from the Canals and River Trust and the Environment Agency.

The closure has significantly impacted local businesses, with some expressing frustration over the length of time the works were taking, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: "The truth of the matter is that this is a historic public right of way attached to a Grade II listed building, which is hard to reach and sits on the bank of a live, and very active, riverway.

"The work will be done as soon as it can be, without a needless threat to the safety of the experts who will carry it out, and it may take quite some time yet."

The authority said it hoped to carry out the works early in the new year.